Just pls dont go. This place is not for authentic thai food lovers. Even papaya salad is super sour and tasteless

Quite possibly one of the WORST meals I have had to date. The wait at Gyu Kaku was 3+ hours and my fam and I were starved. So we opted to try the Thai place down the road - and boy, was that an awful idea... Everything came out cold, smelled weird, and had absolutely no taste. I am so appalled even thinking of the meal while writing this review because I'm confused as to how a restaurant like this is still allowed to be open. The Dao's appetizer platter was horrible. Everything tasted far from fresh - as if it was heated up from a frozen box. Entrees (drunken noodles, Penang curry - not sure how you can terribly mess up simple orders like this...) were also such a mess - cold, tasteless, and just off in general. I eat a LOT of Thai food, so I consider myself to have a good idea for what the standard should be. And this place was nowhere NEAR that. All in all, a zero star experience. Never returning and I hope you don't either. read more

Quick and satisfying. The place is well decorated with cultural artifacts but not overwhelming. I liked the welcoming staff and seemingly quick service. Their shrimp (ask for the big shrimp, same price) Fried Rice was very very good. This is something I would order every time I go here. Could easily recommend this to folks. Their Pad Thai is a-okay. The flavor could have been better mixed WHILE it is cooked. The food tasted like the flavoring was added after the ingredients were cooked. I added a lot of the spicy sauce to make it good for my taste. Their Shrimp Egg Rolls were quite satisfying. They are filled with lettuce and those mini shrimps in Maruchan Instant Noodles, but dipped in their sweet and sour sauce and spicy sauce makes this a treat. I'm definitely revisiting to try the Pad See Ew. We'll see how that does. read more

Ordered pad see ew and cream cheese rangoons to go and SO good. Love this place will definitely be back.

I like my Thai food spicy and flavorful, and this place definitely did not disappoint. The appetizer platter came with an assortment of items. The spring rolls were crunchy and the Crab Rangoon was great with the cream cheese filling. The Panang Curry had a rich coconut flavor. I could have used more spice, but then again I like my food hot . Also, there's an assortment of chili flakes and hot sauce on the table for that. I recommend the Green Curry too. Was slightly spicier than the Panang. The Pad Thai and Pad See Ew were really good. Personally the Pad See Ew had more flavor and the chicken with it was really tender. I also ordered the Mango Bubble Tea, which came out thicker than what I have experienced at other places. However, I found I loved the thickness of the tea and the mango flavor was as real as it could be. I would come here again! read more

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This has been my favorite place to order fried rice from since I was a kid, everytime they change chefs the fried rice taste gets messed up. Now it tastes too garlicky and fishy. Posting this in hopes they will see it and get on top of it and fix it! read more

Love this place! I have worked in the neighborhood for over 20 years and they used to be one of the only restaurant choices before the boom in Streeterville occured. We mostly get delivery, and the food is CONSISTENTLY hot, tasty, delicious, with large portions, enough for 2 people and very fast. My favorite is pad sei ew (spelling?) with beef, and Pad Thai, but never had a bad meal. I have read some of the other reviews about bad spring rolls, I don't order these, but do not let those reviews stop you from going. Love Dao! read more

We are vegetarian, visiting Chicago from out of town. This is the worst Thai food I have eaten. We ordered Pad Prik and Pad See Eiw, both with tofu. The vegetables in both dishes, which should be crisp tender, were way under-cooked. The first dish was very salty and the second was extremely sweet. Neither entree had typical Thai flavors/seasonings. The Pad Prik was supposed to be spicy, but was bland and mostly tasted like diluted soy sauce. The Pad See Eiw tasted as though the sauce was made of nothing but brown sugar. We managed to eat about 25-30 percent of the dishes. When we complained about our meals, we were given a twenty percent discount. The manager was brusque and seemed uninterested in taking our complaints/suggestions seriously. Aside from that, the waiters were pleasant and accommodating, and the ambience is nice. We will not go back. read more

Ordered the Tom Yum noodle soup. The "Tom Yum" I got was a clear chicken broth with a dollop of chili sauce on top. Service was fine but don't come here if you're looking for authentic Thai food, or anything remotely close to authentic. read more

I found this place to be very solid both in food and service. I had the pad see ew, crab rang goons, and the Panang Nue. From a food standpoint, they were definitely 5 stars. I went for lunch during the work week and it was a little busy, but we were seated a table right away. The food came in at a timely manner, and was really good. Nothing was too salty, sweet, or under cooked. I felt like the beef in the curry was a little too firm, but the taste of the dish was actually quite pleasant. The sauce of the CR wasn't the typical packaged sweet/sour sauce. It was less thick that made it easy for me to control how much of the sauce I got per bite. We were at a corner spot of the dining room, but the servers were attentive and I never had less than half of my water filled up. It's quite big, but I was able to converse with my friend very easily and made for a really nice lunch meeting. One con was that the curry doesn't come with a side of rice. My friend and I got a small side of rice on the side each ($1.75) so keep that in mind. The food was more than enough and I have more than enough for dinner. read more

The food is just so bad and flavorless. Try to avoid this place. So so bad, smells like pig food read more

Dao Thai - pad thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place has a classy atmosphere and lots of seating; good for groups. Service was nice and they also have a closet to hang coats. The food came out super fast. The portions are HUGE. However, I wasn't a big fan of my dish. I got the beef curry and the flavor was ok - very peanuty and ok but not great. There were no vegetables at all in my curry which I didn't like; there's usually at least some veggies. My friend got the spring rolls and we didn't like the sauce that came all over them. They had a strange flavor. However, the cashew chicken comes with a lot of veggies and was solid. My friends also liked their pad thai but it also didn't have veggies. read more

Dao Thai - Pad see ew - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I usually order delivery and am always satisfied. Their chicken rice soup always hits the spot when I am feeling sick. It is so simple but so satisfying. I also love their crazy noodles. The food always comes out piping hot and they take spice level seriously. I have dined in before and the back patio is cute over the summer. read more

The full name is Dao Thai Restaurant and Noodle Palace. We had a large retirement luncheon (45) during the week, and the owner, Paul, and entire staff were incredibly accommodating. They had set up an entire spot for us and had everything - place settings, water, menus - ready by the time we arrived. The wait staff were real pros -- taking all our orders and keeping track of who ordered what. The food came out hot, fresh and delicious. They did separate checks, which is no easy feat for a party this size. And we brought in a sheet cake, for which they provided paper plates and plastic forks. Will go back again and again. One thing should be noted, the restaurant is above street level. There is a short flight of stairs to climb. We ate inside but it looked like they also had outdoor seating. read more

Not a bad place for Thai food, and at affordable prices too given the area. I got the singapore noodles, which was a pretty ample serving size, for under $10, plus imported beer (including Asian beer) for $5, and cocktails/martinis only $9. Service was also very fast, tho it was a Tuesday night and kinda dead. I'd still come back, the food was good read more

Dao Thai - #32 Singapore noodle - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Place is pretty decent. A lot of wait staff here and service was jus ok. At times they would just be conversing amongst themselves and not really paying attention to the few customers they had to tend to. The food was ok. The cucumber salad was a bit on the bland and water side. The thai tea deluxe was way too sweet that it tasted a bit gross to me. The ceazy spicy noodles was pretty good. You get the one shrimp just like the description says, front and center. The noodles had great flavor. The bean sprouts weren't cooked with the noodles for some reason, and just placed on top... usually you do that with noodle soup so it cooks in the broth. Pricing was good. Over all pretty average thai joint. read more

Dao Thai - Spicy crazy noodles - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wont ever be coming here again. Went here with a co- worker. After we ordered I decided to check the yelp reviews......ugh! A customer actually found a cockroach in their food!!! I immediately wanted to leave! Now I'm looking around at everyone and everything. All my silverware were dirty and the soup bowls that the brought is were dirty as well. NEED I SAY ANYMORE?!? Never touched the food (tempura shrimp & pot stickers), paid and left. YUCK!!! read more

Dao Thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Terrible. It looks like Thai food but doesn't taste like their food. We live right across the street and we're so hyped to be living across from a Thai restaurant. However, after trying it several times, we won't be going anymore. The dishes (curries, pad Thai, noodles, rice, etc) are all flavorless. I have never had Thai food so flavorless in my life. I'm not sure they don't use better ingredients/seasoning in the food and make the curries more complex. It just tastes like a one note, salty mess. Also, the dishes don't come with rice and you have to pay extra. It's a shame because their outdoor seating is so romantic and cute in the summer. The 2 stars are for the ambience and also their crab ragoons are food. It's hard to mess up crab ragoons though. read more

The pad Thai was too sweet, and very bland. The portions are a nice size, but the flavor just isn't there.

Spicy Basil Leaves is a dish usually served with finely chopped meat. The cut of beef used here just isn't tender enough to serve sliced like this, so it's usually chopped. The photo on the menu even shows finally chopped chicken. So this was tougher than it should've been. Also, the flavor just wasn't there for me. I wouldn't order this again. read more

Dao Thai - 9. Basil Leaves (Pad Kra-Prao) - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

the only good thing about this restaurant is the table setting. The tables are super cute the way you can sit with your legs folded on a pillow. Other than that, the customer service was trash, the manager is trash and the food was trash. I will never go back. read more

This was by far the best Thai food I've ever eaten. I am newly vegan and was afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much but man I was wrong. I had the Massaman Curry with veggies only, Cucumber Salad, and the vegetable Potstickers. Yum yum! read more

The spring rolls skin was hard like a candy. They clearly have been sitting around for a while. And the pad Thai noodles was sub par. Yikes, those who gave this place 3 stars or more must be for the portion and never had Authentic Thai food before. Quality over quantity. Not going back. read more

How is this place still in business??!!! Terrible food - by far maybe the worst Thai food I have eaten. Ugh... one of the dishes almost made me throw up. Never going back here! read more

Solid food. 3 of us for lunch. Portion sizes were slightly more than single person but not overwhelming. Could split 2 ways if not needing a ton of food. We had 2 different Curries and Pad Thai. All good and flavorful. Friendly attentive service. Will be back in the future. read more

To be honest, this is the first disappointing Thai restaurant I've ever been to. I never am a fan of writing negative review, so I am sad to write this. Anyway, me and my boyfriend came here because the Japanese bbq place nearby had a two hour wait. I saw the reviews on yelp, but thought to myself.. you can never go wrong with a simple pad thai or pad see ew. We decided to share a pad see ew just to try it since we are not that hungry anyway. We went there for lunch, and the place is completely empty. After our pad see ew came, it looks very different than the normal authentic pad see ew. It is a lot lighter it does not have the dark soy sauce taste normal pad see ew has. The chicken is the worst part of the dish, it tastes super old. The chicken in the dish does not taste like real chicken, it is very mushy. I had to pick them all out. I am very very disappointed, I have never NOT finished my pad see ew in my entire life before. Not to mention, we are sharing a pad see ew. We both are very bummed going there for lunch. Never again. Besides the food, the customer service was ok. The waitress asked us how everything is. We both made a face and were like uh this pad see ew are just ok. The waitress just smiled and did not do anything. I guess they are used to it. read more

Dao Thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I LOVE Dao. My favorite Thai spot, hands down. The food is always great and hot. I usually order take out for my lunch break. My absolute favorite item on the menu is the Tom Kha Gai soup. So delicious. Always so fresh. I will continue to go here. read more

If I could give 0, I will! I understand it's Friday! But hi your service is so bad! We ordered two appetizers! And all our food comes first and appetizers! And I asked them how? Their attitude thro so bad! And we asked everything spicy! But no of our food is spicy and then we asked some sources and they never give us! Insteaded they are give to other table! Also, I think this restaurant is racist! You are Asian restaurant and you treat Asian ppl like what? They gave different services to Asian ppl then other color of ppl! read more

It deserves its average 3 star rating. Almost any decent Thai place can easily get 4 stars. Had crab Rangoon and basil beef. Rice was an extra charge, a bit unusual, but which actually denotes this type of Thai restaurant - that being the overtly greedy kind that skimps on quality and cuts every corner. Thai restaurants can be prone to cutting corners because Thai cuisine is inherently very good and the flavors will allow for a great many shortfalls. The basil beef was cheap quality, but the flavor was good. The crab Rangoon was also cheap but was good. Both dishes can surpass good and be amazing, but not here at this place. Come here for a good semi tasty cheap-ish meal but not if you want to impress anyone, including yourself. read more

Went this past holiday weekend since my girlfriend recommended it and it was delicious and not priced badly. I got the crab Rangoon, mini egg rolls and one of the Pad Khee Mao with beef. Very juicy and tender. Everything was good. Next time I'm in town will definitely go back. read more

Nearly deserted on a Friday night. When my meal came and there was hair in it, I understood why.

I went here with my roommate for dinner. This location is off E Ohio, within in 2nd block off Michigan Ave. Literally a 2 block walking distance for us, The décor is authentically Thai. The seating in the center of the restaurant is adorable. Lots of cultural pieces that set the mood and define the restaurant. I ordered a Thai tea, for 3.50 I was disappointed, not very flavorful like real thai tea should be, maybe this was an instant tea packet? To eat, I had the House special noodles with tofu. for some reason, it gave off a sour taste. I didn't enjoy it that much. My roommate ordered tofu green curry, it doesn't come with rice. in which, you'll have to order for $1 extra..????? The curry was perfectly spiced. not too spicy but not too bland. we also got mango sticky rice for dessert, no complaints on this except for the hefty price of $6.00. our meal cost us $38. read more

Thai'd and True I am very excited to have found a quaint Thai restaurant seemingly steps away from my back door. On a cold, winter's night (2/9/16), Dao Thai was definitely the move. Location - I am mentally backhanding myself for never truly walking around my new neighborhood to see exactly what is around me. If I hadn't jumped on a bus on Ohio last week I would have never known that Dao was this close to me. There are other fast food chains and wine bars along this street as well. Just steps away from Michigan Avenue too. On a Tuesday night, Dao was not even busy. I was immediately seated. Decor - subtle yet immaculate. I love the statues and figurines and the bamboo. The interior is dimly lit, which sets a more intimate atmosphere. I love the middle section. The cushions are super plush, which makes for great, comfortable seating. Bathrooms were a bit wahwah but Its not like I was expecting it to be glammed out. Service - Quality service! Truly. The staff here are very welcoming and very warm spirited. All smiles and great talk. one of the elderly workers (probably the owner) even offered to teach me how to use chopsticks. Even though I already know how (I was just too hungry to play around with them), I thought that was cute. Drinks - There is a full bar here. Unless someone buys me drinks however, I choose not to imbibe. I pretty much always stick with water. If you read my other reviews, you will see that this is a recurring trend. Food - Let it be known that within 10 minutes of placing my order, I received my food. This scared me at first to be frank. I questioned the freshness of the food at that point. *Pad Khee Mao - I LOVE the squishy/chewy rice noodles. I told them to make sure it was spicy because I have been to many places that claim this dish is supposed to be spicy but it never is. Again, they said they would turn up the heat but I guess that meant for them, to add more thai chilis. It wasn't spicy at all, but it was tasty. I thought it was funny that this dish was supposed to come with chicken and shrimp. More like chicken and a shrimp. I swear on everything that of the entire dish, I had one piece of shrimp. I definitely would have preferred beef and if I try this dish again, I will make sure to get it with. Other than this minor let down, I thoroughly enjoyed the dish. I have had better and I have definitely had worse. Price - THIS is what will keep me coming back. The meal was just over 10 dollars. For a generous portion. read more

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My boyfriend tried this place for the first time and loved it - on his suggestion, we went. Ugh! Why...Maybe it was an off day but the chicken tasted old - you know what i mean, the chewy...isn't quite fresh...hope I don't get sick from this, old taste. We also got a pad see ew and the vegetables were so old I could barely chew it. The service, on the other hand, was the only saving grace. Quick, and friendly. I ...probably won't be back. read more

The first thing I noticed about this place is the funny tasting tap water. And not funny in the good way when it's nicely paired with lemon. It was funny in the there's something wrong with their filtration system.I took one sip and immediately stopped drinking it. If you come here, you'll know what I mean. I ordered the catfish dish which came with assorted eggplants and other veggies while my friend got a noodle dish. The food tasted fine but nothing that I found super remarkable. We also felt very rushed as different waiters kept coming to our table asking if we needed to go boxes. Within a 30 minute period, at least 3 different waiters/waitresses came. It became pretty annoying after the servers came up to us multiple times with us saying that we weren't ready. That's the downfall of a place where waiters aren't assigned to a specific table. While the service was fast, it go to be annoying when we just wanted to sit and enjoy our food in peace. While the decor here is nice and they've got enough space to accommodate large parties, I doubt I'll be choosing to come back here. read more

Restaurant review Is all thai food created equal? After my experience eating at Dao, I would have to say no. Previous to my experience here, I would say that even thai food on a bad day was still okay, however I was recently here with my in-laws and we were able to try multple dishes in one sitting and I was very disappointed. To start with the thai pepper steak was overcoked beef with a very gravy like sauce that had minimal flavor. The penang nue (beef curry) was in a super thick sauce that was overdosed with peanut butter to the point where it was difficult to swallow. One highlight was the pad thai was reasonable, a bit on the sweet side but comparable to other experiences. I would have to echo that the noodle dishes were saturated in oil. All and all an experience that won't have me returning anytime soon. Pro: cheap asian food that you can get for carry out, can order online for pickup Cons: RICE NOT INCLUDED! what asian restaurant charges for rice with your entree, disappointing dishes as noted above Hidden gem: order carry out and save money on tip, better than a tv dinner read more

I have to be honest and say that Dao Thai is my go to place whenever I'm hungry, but I don't know what I want. In all the years I've been coming to Dao Thai I've never been disappointed. The food is always delicious, satisfying and filling. You can't go wrong when visiting Dao Thai. Items to try: - cream cheese crab rangoon - gyo tod (fried wantons) - spicy eggplant stir fried - pad thai - pad see eiw (with beef or chicken) - kow pad (fried rice with beef) read more

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The environment is pretty cool as you can sit on pillows at the table. The service is pretty slow (granted it was pretty crowded) and we ended up refilling our own waters. I ordered the mussamon curry with chicken. It was delicious. However, it didn't even come with rice - you have to order it additionally as a side. All in all, it's a pretty good value for the meal. It's good for big groups and the food is quite yummy. read more

Dao Thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I used to eat here years ago with a girlfriend who lived nearby. I remember liking it but since then I know that I have had much better Thai here in Chicago. My sister and I stopped in here on Friday night, deeming it the most convenient Thai option between an afternoon at the Art Institute and a concert at the Chicago Theater. I was afraid that we would be the only ones in the restaurant, but there were several other tables despite the early hour (5-6). Also, they seem to do a healthy takeout and delivery business. Food was hit-or-miss. The spring rolls were solid but not spectacular. I felt that the sauce was a little too gooey and had that vague sense of artificiality (corn syrup?). We shared an interesting noodle salad, the yum woon sen (silver bean thread salad). The chicken was dry, but the dressing had a very intriguing flavor of lemons and maybe a light, sweet curry...? Not sure, but in any case, interesting and unique and enjoyable. I was glad to branch out of my usual choices with that one. I should have branched out further, because my chicken pad thai was terrible. The noodles were dry and gummy, and flavor was seriously lacking. Also, there were plenty of peanuts and some green onions but no sprouts. This was D+ pad thai. However, my sister's entree was delicious--pad khee mao (spicy crazy noodles). This dish had a wonderful flavor, although it was not very spicy. The noodles were slightly gelatinous, but I could have devoured the entire plate. The prices here are reasonable, especially for the downtown setting and the relatively elegant interior. read more

I stopped in for a afternoon dinner after a long hard day of shopping. I got off my feet by sitting in one of the tables nested inside of the floor. I found them preferable to an actual table, extremely comfortable. The menu has all of your regular Thai cuisine. I ordered Tom Yum Soup which had a different flavor than I am used to, more sour. The shrimp in the soup was a good quality and actually de-veined, unlike many Thai restaurants. I had the shrimp in blankets which I wasn't crazy about (the deep fried shrimp quality was not on par) but I did enjoy the accompanying sauce. I had one of their peanut chicken curries. It was good, but not exceptional. The potatoes were very soft but didn't retain any of the flavor of the curry which was disappointing. The service was fantastic, my water was always full and the food was served politely and quickly. The dishes all came out hot and at a perfect pace. I would recommend this restaurant if you're in the area already and you'd like some reasonably priced Thai food and funky ambiance. read more

Dao Thai - Dao Thai - Tom Yum Soup - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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